Gustavo Cerati - Solo Career

Solo Career

Cerati recorded two solo albums while playing with Soda Stereo. These albums are:

• Colores Santos (1991) A project with Daniel Melero. Notable songs from the álbum include "Vuelta por el Universo", "Tu Medicina" and "Colores Santos".
• Amor Amarillo (1994) Cerati’s very first solo album which included Hector (Zeta) Bosio, ex-bass player for Soda Stereo, contributing bass on the song "Amor Amarillo" ("Yellow Love"). Notable singles from the album include "Lisa", "Te llevo para que me lleves", "Pulsar" and "Bajan".

After the breakup of Soda Stereo, Cerati released the following solo albums :

• Bocanada (1999) Considered his first official solo album. Considered a masterpiece of his career and his best album. AllMusic granted it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 possible, and this is more important for was about a Latin album. Bocanada is marked by heavy use of electronic samples and beats. Some outstanding songs from this album include "Engaña", "Río Babel", "Bocanada", "Puente" and "Paseo Inmoral". During an interview, Cerati said that he would like to name this album "Cerati Iluminado" in regards of the lyrics and music they arranged for the records.
• +Bien (2001) Soundtrack of the movie of the same name, directed by Eduardo Capilla, in which he also stars and makes his acting debut. Another soundtrack he produced was for the movie "Solo Por Hoy".
• 11 Episodios Sinfónicos (2001) A live recording of Cerati singing with a classic orchestra performing some of the most popular songs from his own catalog and that of Soda Stereo.
• Siempre es Hoy (2002) The third non-instrumental album of his solo career, it marks a new perspective for his music and sound. Some highlights include "Karaoke", "Cosas Imposibles" and "Artefacto".
• Siempre es Hoy / Reversiones (2003) A compilation of remixes from the album "Siempre es hoy" performed by several artists of the ambient electronica around the world.
• Ahí vamos (2006) Probably his most rock-oriented album to date, Ahí vamos is an album that combines Cerati's guitar roots and a melodic style. It includes songs such as "Un lago en el cielo", "Crimen", "La excepcion", "Uno entre mil", "Adios", "Me quedo aqui" and "Medium". Hector Castillo and Tweety Gonzalez were responsible for the sound engineering of the album.
• Fuerza Natural (2009) Released on September 1, 2009, the album is Cerati’s fifth solo album and features a folk sound with acoustic guitars and presence of mandolins. The first single from the album was "Déjà vu". It also includes songs such as "Fuerza Natural", "Rapto", "Magia".

In addition to his songwriting and producing abilities, Cerati is a talented lead-and-rhythm guitar player known for his ability to play intricate lead solos on guitar while singing in key, a fact made evident during live performances throughout his entire career. In his solo album Ahí vamos, his guitar playing is featured prominently, contrasted to the heavy use of electronic samplers that marked his 1999 solo album "Bocanada." "Ahí Vamos" was certified platinum in Argentina in only one day.

Cerati had several electronic music alter egos as well, namely Plan V, Ocio and Roken. He produced albums for other artists, most notably Sueños en Tránsito for Nicole and Mar for Leo García as well as for the band Friccion. He is a contributing artist on several albums for artists such as Caifanes, Los Calzones, and Shakira.

Despite stating that the Grammys do not matter to him, he attended the Latin Grammys ceremony on November 2, 2006, where he won for Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song.

On March 10, 2007 Cerati played a free concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The show was held in a popular square and main streets were closed. The concert was the closure of the Summer Programme of the city government. The government estimated that between 150,000 and 200,000 people attended.

On July 7, 2007 he performed at Live Earth with Shakira in Germany.

Gustavo Cerati won Best Rock Album for Fuerza Natural and Best Rock Song for Deja Vu during the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards.